--- title: "Tips for Budget-Conscious Meeting Planners" id: "61368" type: "post" slug: "tips-for-budget-conscious-meeting-planners" published_at: "2022-09-20T14:00:15+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:07:48+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/tips-for-budget-conscious-meeting-planners/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/tips-for-budget-conscious-meeting-planners.md" excerpt: "A host of economic forces threatens to break association conference budgets. There are no easy solutions, but a close look at contracts and history can help identify some savings." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" - "Mid-Level Professional" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tips for Budget-Conscious Meeting Planners Part of the Deep Dive[Renewal](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/renewal-meetings-in-the-post-pandemic-era/) The past year has created a perfect storm of challenges for meeting planners. Associations eager to return to in-person meetings have less leverage with hotels and venues, especially after activating cancellation clauses at the onset of COVID-19. Supply-chain disruptions have made it harder to secure many conference essentials, particularly food. High inflation has made attendees and exhibitors hesitant to travel. And COVID hasn’t gone away, further suppressing attendance. In response, venues have sometimes added new fees and conditions that complicate meeting planners’ lives. “In my entire 50 years in this industry, I have never, ever faced what I’m facing now in terms of helping negotiate contracts,” said Joan Eisenstodt, a veteran meetings consultant. It’s no surprise, then, that association meeting planners are looking for ways to cut costs. But Eisenstodt cautions that there’s no silver bullet to be found. Cut the coffee service? Now you’re sending attendees outside the venue, wrecking the community vibe and potentially infuriating exhibitors. Sign up for a more affordable onsite AV or internet access plan? The potential for glitches and slowdowns risks spoiling the meeting experience. ### Scrutiny on Contracts But association meeting planners aren’t entirely without options. Part of the solution involves a closer eye for contract details and a willingness to engage in some straight talk with venues. Barry Schieferstein, director of learning and events at the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, says associations still have some negotiating power with venues, especially if there’s been a past relationship. “Everything’s negotiable, and that still holds true,” he said. Although venues “want to recoup two years of lost revenue as quickly as they can,” a long-term relationship with a association may be more important to the venue than collecting every possible fee. To that end, take a close look at your contracts, which may prescribe some eye-popping fees: charges for attendee use of power outlets, inflation offsets, and attrition penalties. Pre-COVID, venues often were willing to waive some of those costs as a goodwill gesture. Now, they’re back on the table, and the meeting planner may not necessarily be informed that they’ve been applied. Don’t be afraid to take cost concerns up the chain of command, Schieferstein says. “The event manager might be very strict in conversations, telling you what the attrition ramifications are,” he said. “But as soon as you go to the director of sales, the conversation changes immediately.” [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [New Pricing Models for Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/new-pricing-models-for-meetings/) - [Sponsorship Options With Value for Everyone](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/sponsorship-options-with-value-for-everyone/) - [Three Reasons to Host Your Next Meeting in a Smaller City](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/three-reasons-to-host-your-next-meeting-in-a-smaller-city/) - [Clear Your Conference-Design Blind Spots](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/clear-your-conference-design-blind-spots/) - [Keys to Creating Inclusive Meeting Content](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/keys-to-creating-inclusive-meeting-content/) - [Digital Strategies to Extend In-Person Events](https://associationsnow.com/2022/09/20/digital-strategies-to-extend-in-person-events/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/renewal-meetings-in-the-post-pandemic-era/) ## You Might Like - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [ArticleA Meeting Expert’s Need-to-KnowsJune 12, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/a-meeting-experts-need-to-knows/) - [VideoThe Adaptive Leader: Integrating Values and Strategy to Thrive Under New LeadershipDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/the-adaptive-leader-integrating-values-and-strategy-to-thrive-under-new-leadership/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2022%2F09%2F20%2Ftips-for-budget-conscious-meeting-planners%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !